Lady LUX

You go to your closet. It is brimming with clothes. Clothes that may be beautiful or trendy, but that you hardly ever wear. Pauline Truchot is all too familiar with that experience. In fact, it was the impetus that led her to create StyleRecovery.com, a community website that gives fashion lovers a platform to sell their less-worn, high-end fashion items and purchase new and used designer styles for less. For many, it has changed shopping forever. It is, as Truchot says, “addictive.”

“I have always had a love for fashion … I had designer items that I loved but just didn’t wear anymore. I knew there were girls out there that would love my items as much as I do, so I created the site so members can find loving homes for the high-end products they no longer wear. I also knew what pre-owned items I would be willing to buy and what not,” Truchot said.

She attempted to list her unwanted fashions on eBay, but made little headway. Realizing this experience must be common, she founded a website, Ugotawish.com, in Europe. After the site’s fabulous reception on the continent, where it gained a following of 60,000 members, Truchot saw the opportunity to expand to the United States.

StyleRecovery reports the average woman uses only 3 percent of the pieces in her closet. That leaves plenty of room for fashionistas on a budget to recycle their designer jewelry, handbags, shoes and clothes for a predetermined reasonable price. Sellers turn a profit and shoppers find incredible deals on luxury items.

“Quality is the most important ingredient to a successful wardrobe,” Truchot declared. And StyleRecovery is the perfect way to find that quality at accessible prices points, from basics to must-haves, in almost new condition. About 85 percent of items were purchased new in the last year.

The goal: a wide selection of fine and beautiful items from top brands at lower prices. Products, including favorites from Louboutin, Chloe, Prada, Jimmy Choo and Marc Jacobs, are sold on average for 62 percent off retail price.

“It is a community of fashion lovers that appreciate and have knowledge of designer products and their value, whether new or used,” Truchot explained. “This way, sellers can sell their products at a reasonable price while still making a profit, and buyers benefit by paying a fraction of the cost of retail prices.”

The concept is eBay with a fashion twist. Sites that sell used products abound. But sites that sell lightly worn high fashion items do not.

“Ebay and Craigslist are clear and outright leaders in the used-goods segment of the digital market and, although great generalists, they lack the delivery of a customized approach and experience that is necessary in order to sell to niche, second-hand markets,” Truchot said.

All pieces are handselected. StyleRecovery’s stylist team chooses items that are still in style and in good condition – everything is “fashionable, current and real.” Customers can rest assured that, due to the site’s safety measures, they will not be victims of fake products. StyleRecovery reviews each piece before it is listed to ensure authenticity.

Sellers can create their very own virtual boutique experience.

First, users register for free. They can then list their items to sell, uploading a photo of the item and a picture of the label. Shoppers buy the piece directly from the lister, who pays a portion to the site as commission. Once the buyer receives the item in good condition, the seller receives the money.

Fashion enthusiasts are attracted by one side and come to love the other. Thirty percent of people who sell on StyleRecovery will actually buy upscale products on the website.

“Second-hand can be stylish … The site makes reselling, recycling and circulating second-hand products totally addictive and trendy. If you stop wearing something, sell it again on stylerecovery.com!” Truchot declared. “We want to make of StyleRecovery a huge wardrobe in which you shop with your eyes closed, as if you were buying it from a friend.”

Look for the new addition of click-and-buy content, with the latest trends, celebrity picks, and fashion collaborations all available for browsing.

With new items offered each day, be sure to check out the website at www.stylerecovery.com.

Tagged in: lux exclusives, website, sale, recycle, resale, used, resell, stylerecovery.com, unused,

Fashion / Features